


it's love, not rocket science

by analyticamethyst



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Della is best wingman, Fenton & Della is brotp, M/M, flustered fenton is best fenton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 15:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17685707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/analyticamethyst/pseuds/analyticamethyst
Summary: Fenton is overcome with weird emotions when Della Duck comes back and Gyro spends all of his time with her. He should be happy. Gyro is happy, he's yelling less, and he's actually getting sleep. So why is Fenton so upset?Things might not be quite as they seem. And hey, maybe Della can help him out with this little problem he has.





	it's love, not rocket science

Della Duck has been back for three weeks, and Fenton still hasn’t met her.

He’s seen her, in pictures, on a video feed, and in the news.

She’s also been to the lab, but they’ve never spoken. He doesn’t know if she’s even noticed him.

She’s only there for Gyro.

When Team Science first received word (read: Scrooge running downstairs at the speed of light and screaming incoherently at them between breaths) that Della was alive and coming home, Gyro immediately brightened. He was happier, kinder, more energetic. He started taking breaks, getting sleep, drinking less (though still way more than healthy) coffee, and putting his inventions aside.

To see Della.

Fenton knows Della was one of Gyro’s childhood friends. Perhaps the only one. He knows he was devastated when his own creation caused her assumed death. He knows Gyro was beyond overjoyed to see his friend home safe and sound, to see one creation that didn’t go faulty for once.

But it still hurts, to see Gyro beam at Della apropos of nothing when he rarely smiles at Fenton, to see them walking together, to see him leaving the lab for her. Fenton doesn’t know why at first. Gyro deserves friends and breaks and happiness. And he’s yelling at Fenton less and less.

But it doesn’t click until M’ma waves a paper excitedly in his face, too fast for his quick eyes to read it. “Your jerk boss is in the papers!!”

Fenton grabs the paper out of her hand. It crumbles under his grip as his fingers go white.

It’s one of her cheap tabloids, full of fabricated gossip. Fenton is always blowing them off, but now he can’t peel his eyes away.

**_LONG-LOST NIECE OF SCROOGE MCDUCK SECRETLY DATING CHIEF SCIENTIST?!!?!??_ **

Below is a picture of Della and Gyro, caught mid-laugh. They’re holding coffees and strolling in the park.

Gyro hates the park. He’s angrily turned down Fenton’s many requests to go work in the sunshine and nature, even when he cites multiple sources about how it improves productivity.

“It’s nice that he’s finally found a girl to settle down with,” M’ma muses, almost triumphantly. “Maybe she’ll mellow him out.”

When Fenton doesn’t respond, he can feel the heat of her concerned gaze. “Pollito?”

“I have to go,” Fenton mumbles, grabbing his coat off the rack. “I’m going to be late for work.”

“Pollito? Fenton, it’s summer! Get your coat back here!” she yells as he rushes away. He barely hears her.

Once he’s in the car, he squeezes his eyes shut and lets hot tears prick painfully at the edge of his eyes.

_I’m jealous. Oh duck, I’m jealous. Gyro is going out with Della and I never seized my chance and now my stupid jealousy is ruining everything._

_How on earth am I going to face him today?_

—-

Fenton gets lucky. The lab is empty when he enters. Once upon a time, this would have been ludicrous. Gyro practically slept in the lab. But now, half the time, he’s never here.

Out with Della, Fenton presumes. He sighs and sits down at his desk. His head falls heavy into his hands and he massages his temples, trying to get a grip so he can look somewhat presentable when his coworkers arrive.

The lab door slides open and Fenton ducks his head, pretending to be buried in scattered papers from a project he finished last week. Footsteps echo slowly through the lab, and Fenton prays with all his heart it’s not Gyro.

He gets his wish.

“Hello?” a female, familiar voice asks, and Fenton’s head shoots up of its own volition. He’s cursing himself a mile a minute.

Della is standing in the lab, bright as ever but looking rather lost. In her hand is a faded blue folder, one Fenton has seen many times before.

It’s the Gizmoduck folder.

Gyro never lets it leave the lab on his life.

Fenton tries to duck behind his desk, but it’s too late. Della has spotted him and is hurrying over, a bright smile on his face.

“Hey!” she shouts, smiling. He envies how carefree and happy she is. “Gyro left this at my place and I wanted to bring it back for him. Can you tell me where it goes?”

Fenton swallows. “Uh, I’ll just take that. It goes in a drawer in Gyro’s file cabinet, but only he has the key.”

Della nods and hands the file to him. Fenton tucks it securely in his desk drawer, under some other files. He hopes Gyro won’t be too mad when he finds out Fenton has it, but this is the most secure place he can think of. Gyro doesn’t trust him with keys.

“So, I don’t think we’ve met,” Della pulls his attention back to her. She extends a hand, smiling. “I’m Della Duck, adventurer extraordinaire. And you?”

“Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera,” he replies simply. “Pleased to meet you.”

Her eyebrows arch upwards. “Oh. You’re Gyro’s assistant, right?”

Fenton shrugs. “Well- Yeah..”

He doesn’t know if Gyro has told her about Gizmoduck yet. If he mentions it and he hasn’t, Gyro will have his head. But Della might think him rude for trying to hide things.

“Do you have any embarrassing stories about Gyro?” Della’s eyes gleam with mischief, and suddenly Fenton doesn’t see a young woman but a familiar boy clothed in blue.

He smiles, shrugging. “It’s Gyro. Of course I do.” Suddenly daring, he raises one eyebrow. “But you must have way more, being…. childhood friends and all.”

Della shrugs, rolling her eyes. “I was sixteen when I met him. I don’t think that really counts,” she laughs. “But some of the tabloids say we’re dating! Can you  _believe_  that crap?”

“Wait, so you’re  _not_  dating?” Fenton blurts out, then immediately wishes he’d kept his mouth shut.

Della raises an eyebrow, smiling ubelievingbly. “You kidding, dude? Gyro’s gay as duck.”

The surprise must show clear on Fenton’s face because Della barks a laugh and Fenton couldn’t help but smile. Her laugh fills up the empty lab. “Maybe it’s cause I’m hella bi with a preference for girls, but I knew from the beginning.. No doubt about it.”

Fenton smiles shyly. He’s worried and stressed about Della for weeks, but now he can’t imagine why. She’s so easy to talk to and uplifting.

So he overshares, as usual. “Me too!”

Della’s entire face lights up, and she raises her hands for an excited high ten. Fenton hesitates before giving it to her. “Awesome!!! Bi buddies!! Oh, this is so cool!”

Her enthusiasm is contagious, and Fenton beams back at her.

“So.” Della sets her chin in her palm, smirking. “You like boys, Gyro likes boys…. when are you gonna ask him out?”

“What?!” Fenton nearly springs out of his seat. “I’m not going to ask him out!!!”

“But you’re both dorky scientists! You’d be perfect together!” Della laments. “C’mon, Fen, just give it a chance.”

Fenton shrugs, chuckling sadly. “He probably doesn’t like me. He yells at me all the time. I would have snapped a long time ago, but he’s barely in the lab anymore.”

“Trust me, he likes you.” Della replies almost immediately.

“How do you know that?” Fenton asks, and Della doesn’t answer.

The familiar hum of the elevator startles them both, and Della lays a hand on Fenton’s shoulder as she gets up. “Just promise me you’ll think about it, ‘Kay?”

“Okay.” Fenton smiles noncommittally and watches Della bounce over to Manny.. They strike up a conversation as if nothing happened. Fenton can’t recall them ever meeting.

—

A week passes before Della comes to the lab. She brought gormet coffee and pastries, making everyone’s day (except Gyro’s, who complains because he’s embarrassed).

As she passes by Fenton’s desk she simply raises an eyebrow.

Fenton sighs. “I’m just working up the nerve.”

Della grins. “Well, work faster! I know what kind of work ethic Gyro installs in his employees. Use it!!”

Fenton raises an eyebrow. “You mean, the no sleep and cheap coffee work ethic? I prefer sleep productivity, thanks.”

Della rolls her eyes and pats him on the shoulder. “Just do it! You two would be so cute!”

Her voice rises with excitement, and Fenton glances nervously at Gyro. His head is buried in blueprints.

_Oh man, I hope he didn’t hear. I don’t know what I’d do if he did._

—

It’s been one week and five days since Fenton originally spoke to Della. He’s been counting.

He usually drives himself home or takes the bus, but tonight is a rare evening out with his M’ma. He waits for her in front of the Money Bin, bag swinging slightly against his legs. He’s lost in thought, but startled out of it by slow footsteps behind him.

Fenton doesn’t turn around. It’s probably just another employee, ready to head home and not in any hurry to stop and chat. He knows that from experience, and people (read: Gyro) tell him he’s too chatty and his long conversations aren’t productive.

The footsteps stop beside him, and Fenton glances up to see… Gyro.

The scientist takes a deep breath and stares straight ahead. Fenton offers him a small smile, but Gyro avoids his gaze. He sighs and turns away.

He thinks that will be the end of it, that they’ll stand in silent solidarity, but then he spots a plane taking off from Duckberg Airport, and he’s suddenly reminded of his promise to Della.

Her voice echoes in his head.  _Just ask him out! You’re both total dorks._

“Have you seen the new Spiderduck movie?” Fenton finds himself asking.

Gyro glances at him, surprised. Fenton braces himself for a rebuke, but all he says is “The multiverse one?”

Fenton nods and Gyro shakes his head. “Seems improbable.”

“Would you want to go see it on Thursday with me?” Fenton blurts out, and immediately snaps his mouth shut.

Gyro’s eyes widen. “That’s a date, Cabrera.” His tone is dripping with condescension, and Fenton winces. He turns away.  _This was a mistake._

He can feel the heat of Gyro’s gaze on him. “Did Della have something to do with this? She was talking about that movie the other day. Her kids won’t stop talking about it.”

Fenton crosses his arms over his chest. “Well, yeah, but she didn’t specify what to do.” His voice trails off at the end and his cheeks are burning. He hopes his brown feathers hide his furious blush from view.

Gyro pauses. “So she told you to ask me out on a date,” he affirms. Fenton nods, anxiety swimming in his stomach.

“Ugh. Of course she did. I should have known. I’m a genius, after all. Why couldn’t I predict this?!” Gyro groans.

Fenton raises an eyebrow. His heart is pounding so loud Mr. McDuck can probably hear it from his mansion. “It seemed like an unpredictable, random event. And Della herself seems like a rather unpredictable person.”

Gyro sighs heavily. “I told her I like you,” he mutters through clenched teeth, as if he already expected Fenton to know.

Fenton freezes. This was not one of his predicted outcomes, even the very unlikely one where it suddenly starts  snowing in the middle of a warm, early autumn (0.001% probability according to his calculations)..

“Oh,” is all he can manage. “Oh.  _Oh_.”

Gyro smirks, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “You know what, Fenton? I’d like to see that movie. So that when Huey comes over on Monday I can refute all his theories.”

Fenton beams. “Wonderful.”

Tires screech as a familiar compact police van pulls up in front of them. Gyro flinches, but Fenton is already rushing up to the car. The window rolls down and Gloria smiles brightly from the driver’s seat.

“See you on Thursday, Gyro!” Fenton shouts as he shuts the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at work!” Gyro shouts back, but he’s smiling, and his cheeks are tinted pink.

M’ma turns to Fenton, raising an eyebrow. “What’s happening on Thursday, Pollito?”

Fenton flushes red and mutters something incomprehensible, sliding down in the seat in embarrassment. Gloria chuckles. “Sit up straight, Fenton..”

His phone chimes with a new text and he glances down.

**UNKNOWN [6:19 pm]:**  you’re welcome, lovebird!! didn’t i tell you it would work out between you two?

**FENTON [6:19 pm]:**  We haven’t gone on our date yet. Should I even ask how you got my number.

**DELLA [6:19 pm]:** nope. enjoy your date!!

**FENTON [6:20 pm]:**  oh, I will!

**DELLA [6:20 pm]:**  skdskdskdskdskds remember this is all because of me when i crash one of gyro’s inventions k?

**FENTON [6:21 pm]:**  …should I be worried?

**DELLA [6:21 pm]:**  nope! i’ll be with launchbae

**DELLA [6:21 pm]:**  *launchpad sorry autocorrect

**FENTON [6:22 pm]:**  LOL you need advice from the master, lovebird?

**DELLA [6:22 pm]:**  sdksdks no ur a disaster

**Author's Note:**

> Fenton and Della is not a pairing I would have thought of but now they’re brotp you can’t stop me
> 
> flustered fenton is best fenton!!!
> 
> so many times while typing this i accidentally typed fenron which autocorrected to fenro and if that’s not fitting i don’t know what is
> 
> This was a tumblr request with the prompt "I'm just working up the nerve."


End file.
